Morocco Stands Up With Côte d’Ivoire Against Terror

At least 16 people were killed and many others were injured in the heinous attacks perpetrated in Grand-Bassam by Islamic militants of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, according to press reports.

In a phone call made Monday with President Alassan Ouattara, King Mohammed VI offered to send a team to support Ivorian authorities in the probe, the King’s office said in a statement.

The Moroccan sovereign also offered his sincere condolences and deep compassion and expressed Morocco’s total solidarity with “brotherly” Cote d’Ivoire.

Immediately afterwards, a top Moroccan security delegation arrived in Abidjan. It includes Interior Minister Mohamed Hassad and Head of Morocco’s internal intelligence service Abdellatif Hammouchi who is also Chief of General Directorate of National Security (DGSN).

The two top security officials were received in person by President Alassan Ouattara in presence of minister of the interior of Côte d’Ivoire Hamed Bakayoko, minister of State & presidential General Secretary Amadou Gon Coulibaly and Defense minister Alain Richard Donwahi.

The Moroccan security officials had, later on, meetings with their Ivorian peers who expressed their high appreciation of Morocco’s solidarity drive.

In a press statement, interior minister of Côte d’Ivoire Hamed Bakayoko hailed the Moroccan assistance, saying it reflects the strong ties existing between King Mohammed VI and President Alassane Ouattara.

Morocco had helped France identify the mastermind and perpetrators of the Paris deadly terrorist attacks that claimed 130 lives. Its intelligence services also helped many other European countries including Spain, Belgium, Netherlands…in terror investigations and contributed to saving lives.